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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pop — soda
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — in control
  13. row — to paddle
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pound — a weight
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. row — a line
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tube — the underground
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com